Completed Event: Wrestling versus NCAA Championships on March 19, 2026 , , NTS
/
Final
Wrestling
vs NCAA Championships
Photo by: Duke Athletics
From Gori, Georgia to Durham: Ross Returns Ready for the Next Step
8/11/2026 9:00:00 AM | Wrestling
DURHAM, N.C.-- After hours of travel, Dylan Ross had barely any time to recover before stepping onto the wrestling mat.Â
Ross landed in Georgia at 4 a.m., after a long international journey and was back in wrestling gear by 7 a.m.
"We had no sleep," Ross said.Â
He would begin the first of three daily sessions that would define his next 10 days.Â
After earning the starting spot at 149 pounds as a Duke redshirt freshman, Ross finished last season with a 16-12 overall record and went 5-4 in ACC competition. The season gave him his first real opportunity to test himself at the collegiate level.
But Ross knew he could improve, and he spent part of his summer in Gori, Georgia, training under his longtime coach Valentin Kalika at a camp in one of the world's most legendary wrestling cultures.
The schedule was demanding. Every morning began at 7 a.m., with conditioning at a local park before mat practices at 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. Between sessions, there was just enough time to eat, recover and prepare to do it all again, leaving very little room for anything besides wrestling.
For Ross, that was exactly what made the experience so valuable. He was exposed to a place where wrestling is deeply integrated into the culture.
"[We were] outside the city, so it's an underdeveloped area," Ross said. "I feel like all the kids there, all they know and live is wrestling. They wrestle two or three times a day every single day their whole lives."Â
This trip was not just about training abroad — it was a chance to reunite with the coach who played a major role in shaping Ross's wrestling career.Â
"My coach has been inviting me for a while, but it never worked out because it was kind of a big commitment," Ross said. "This summer I found the time and one of my training partners back home wanted to go with me. It was hard to say no to an opportunity like that."
Ross, who grew up in Edgewater, N.J., first began training with Kalika in the seventh grade and continued to train under him privately throughout high school before Kalika moved to California. Looking back, he admits that Kalika's training style is unlike anything he had ever experienced.Â
"He brought a style of wrestling that I had never seen before," Ross said. "At the time when I was learning it, it was frustrating because I thought none of this stuff works."
Much of Kalika's training draws from freestyle wrestling, the international style used in Olympic and world competition. While Ross grew up competing primarily in collegiate folkstyle, he gradually began to understand Kalika's approach.
 "It slowly developed and resonated with me," Ross said. "I understand it a whole lot better now."
The opportunity to train with Kalika again also meant sharing the mat with some of the world's most elite wrestlers. The camp included Olympic champions, world team members, local talent, athletes preparing for MMA and UFC careers and wrestlers from around the world.
For Ross, who hopes to compete internationally in the future, the experience provided him with a unique opportunity to test himself against elite wrestlers while developing in the style used on the international stage.
"I got to wrestle a whole bunch of Georgian kids, and they wrestle in a completely different style than us," Ross said. "International wrestling is freestyle, so that's something I wanted to train for."
Training three times a day against some of the world's most elite wrestlers challenged Ross and forced him to adjust to the intensity of international wrestling.
"I definitely got better out of it," Ross said. "Those Georgian guys were prepared for the world stage, so we were going through their practices. Three practices a day isn't light and we weren't going light."
Ten days of training under Kalika and alongside elite international wrestlers in Georgia challenged Ross physically and mentally, while giving him a clearer sense of where he stands and what it will take to reach the next level.Â
"I think it mentally prepared me and physically prepared me earlier than I was last year," Ross said. "I know where I stand now and I have a lot more confidence going into this season."
Now, Ross returns for his sophomore season at Duke with the confidence and experience to turn those lessons into results on the mat.
"I think overall, I'm just going to be more prepared going into next season," Ross said.
"I think just knowing where I stand and having that confidence is going to bring a lot to my wrestling this year. It will definitely be a big difference."
#GoDuke
Â
Ross landed in Georgia at 4 a.m., after a long international journey and was back in wrestling gear by 7 a.m.
"We had no sleep," Ross said.Â
He would begin the first of three daily sessions that would define his next 10 days.Â
After earning the starting spot at 149 pounds as a Duke redshirt freshman, Ross finished last season with a 16-12 overall record and went 5-4 in ACC competition. The season gave him his first real opportunity to test himself at the collegiate level.
But Ross knew he could improve, and he spent part of his summer in Gori, Georgia, training under his longtime coach Valentin Kalika at a camp in one of the world's most legendary wrestling cultures.
The schedule was demanding. Every morning began at 7 a.m., with conditioning at a local park before mat practices at 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. Between sessions, there was just enough time to eat, recover and prepare to do it all again, leaving very little room for anything besides wrestling.
For Ross, that was exactly what made the experience so valuable. He was exposed to a place where wrestling is deeply integrated into the culture.
"[We were] outside the city, so it's an underdeveloped area," Ross said. "I feel like all the kids there, all they know and live is wrestling. They wrestle two or three times a day every single day their whole lives."Â
This trip was not just about training abroad — it was a chance to reunite with the coach who played a major role in shaping Ross's wrestling career.Â
"My coach has been inviting me for a while, but it never worked out because it was kind of a big commitment," Ross said. "This summer I found the time and one of my training partners back home wanted to go with me. It was hard to say no to an opportunity like that."
Ross, who grew up in Edgewater, N.J., first began training with Kalika in the seventh grade and continued to train under him privately throughout high school before Kalika moved to California. Looking back, he admits that Kalika's training style is unlike anything he had ever experienced.Â
"He brought a style of wrestling that I had never seen before," Ross said. "At the time when I was learning it, it was frustrating because I thought none of this stuff works."
Much of Kalika's training draws from freestyle wrestling, the international style used in Olympic and world competition. While Ross grew up competing primarily in collegiate folkstyle, he gradually began to understand Kalika's approach.
 "It slowly developed and resonated with me," Ross said. "I understand it a whole lot better now."
The opportunity to train with Kalika again also meant sharing the mat with some of the world's most elite wrestlers. The camp included Olympic champions, world team members, local talent, athletes preparing for MMA and UFC careers and wrestlers from around the world.
For Ross, who hopes to compete internationally in the future, the experience provided him with a unique opportunity to test himself against elite wrestlers while developing in the style used on the international stage.
"I got to wrestle a whole bunch of Georgian kids, and they wrestle in a completely different style than us," Ross said. "International wrestling is freestyle, so that's something I wanted to train for."
Training three times a day against some of the world's most elite wrestlers challenged Ross and forced him to adjust to the intensity of international wrestling.
"I definitely got better out of it," Ross said. "Those Georgian guys were prepared for the world stage, so we were going through their practices. Three practices a day isn't light and we weren't going light."
Ten days of training under Kalika and alongside elite international wrestlers in Georgia challenged Ross physically and mentally, while giving him a clearer sense of where he stands and what it will take to reach the next level.Â
"I think it mentally prepared me and physically prepared me earlier than I was last year," Ross said. "I know where I stand now and I have a lot more confidence going into this season."
Now, Ross returns for his sophomore season at Duke with the confidence and experience to turn those lessons into results on the mat.
"I think overall, I'm just going to be more prepared going into next season," Ross said.
"I think just knowing where I stand and having that confidence is going to bring a lot to my wrestling this year. It will definitely be a big difference."
#GoDuke
Â
Players Mentioned
149
/ WrestlingMonday, March 10
Friday, November 01
Saturday, October 19
Saturday, October 19
